Route may better fit Al Muhtasib

ELMONT, N.Y. - There are five maiden races on Friday's nine-race card at Belmont Park, with perhaps the most interesting of them being the sixth, a 1 1/16-mile dirt race with some intriguing pedigrees.

Nine were entered for the race, though Jadal is expected to scratch and run at Monmouth Park on Saturday. Jadal was part of a Shadwell-owned, Kiaran McLaughlin-trained entry along with Al Muhtasib, who is one of the horses to beat.

Al Muhtasib is a son of Distorted Humor out of the A.P. Indy mare A.P. interest, who produced the Grade 2 winner Golden Spikes. A.P. Interest is a half-sister to Forestry, who won the Dwyer here as a 3-year-old.

Al Muhtasib has run twice, finishing fifth in a six-furlong race at Gulfstream on March 20 before running third in a seven-furlong race at Aqueduct on April 16. McLaughlin said he believes stretching out in distance is what the horse wants to do.

"He's a little green, probably wants further,'' McLaughlin said. "Both of his races were kind of similar.''

Loquacious was beaten 12 lengths in her debut on Feb. 5 at Gulfstream before getting beat a neck in a one-mile maiden race at Gulfstream on April 3. Tom Albertrani, the trainer of Loquacious, said his colt got sick in between those races. He also mentioned that Loquacious failed to change leads in the stretch of the April 3 race in which he was nipped at the wire.

Loquacious is by Maria's Mon out of the dam She's Nuit All, who is a half-sister to Octave, a multiple graded stakes winner at Belmont.

Con the Cat is a half-brother to the $2.9 million earner Evening Attire, who won the 2002 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont. Trainer Pat Kelly ran Con the Cat on the turf first time out. He finished sixth, beaten 9 1/4 lengths.

Kelly said the Con the Cat bled, which is why he is putting him on Lasix. He is also putting blinkers on the gelding, though he has yet to train Con the Cat in that equipment.

"He was looking all around,'' Kelly said. "I don't know if it was the grass. He doesn't have any speed. He's a big, tall, lanky horse. We need to get him going.''

High Stakes Player, fifth in his debut, is out of a dam who is a full sister to the champion Serena's Song, who has produced Grade 2 winners Harlington and Grand Reward.